Shuttered light-control structure



Nov. 30, 1965 H. E. GRAHAM SHUTTERED LIGHT-CONTROL STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2. 2 26.

1N VENTOR.

FIG.

HAROLD E. GRAHAM Nov. 30, 1965 H. E. GRAHAM SHUTTERED LIGHT-CONTROL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1962 INVENTOR.

FIG. 2

HAROLD E G/PA HAM United States Patent 3,220,065 SHUTTERED LIGHT-CONTROL STRUCTURE Harold E. Graham, 505 Baughman, Claremont, Calif. Filed Dec. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 244,450 19 Claims. (Cl. 20-565) This invention relates to a light-control panel or structure for controlling the amount of light transmitted thereby. It relates more specifically to a shuttered structure in which light transmission through selected portions or all of the structure can be easily adjusted.

The light-control panel of the invention is useful as an exterior or interior structural wall of a building, a curtain wall, a room divider, an adjustable light-transmitting member for a window opening, skylight or port, a deck or top for boats, vehicles, room areas, greenhouses, patios, etc., and for many other purposes where it is desired to control the amount of transmitted light for purpose of comfort, safety, privacy, signaling, etc., or for aesthetic reasons.

It is an object of the invention to control light transmission for the above and other purposes by use of a grid of crossing walls forming a pattern of light passages therethrough, at least sofe of these light passages having individual shutters connected to a control means for simultaneously moving such shutters in a manner to vary the light transmitted through the corresponding light passages.

A further object is to dispose such a grid between transparent face members adhered to or otherwise integrated with the grid to provide closed spaces for the shutters. A further object is to provide a light-control panel in which simultaneously movable shutters are positioned in spaces sealed against entry of dust, moisture, or con taminating fluids whether they be gaseous or liquid. The transparent face members are important to this aspect of the invention. Here and elsewhere the term transparent is used with reference to elements that vary between a clear or glass-like state and a diffused or translucent state.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of exemplary embodiments but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the square or substantially cubical configuration of the light passages to be described. Likewise, while the invention is admirably suited to fabrication employing plastics, as will be described, it should be clear that the components can be made of metal, wood, wood-fiber materials, ceramic materials, etc.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a light-control panel of the invention and a fragment of a similar adjacent panel;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively along the lines 2--2, 3-3 and 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the shutters in closed position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a shutter of the type employed in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an alternative embodiment, shown assembled in FIG. 9, made in part of the longitudinal and transverse strips shown respectively in FIGS. 7 and 8; and

ice

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of one of the shutters employed in the embodiment of FIG. 9.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a complete lightcontrol panel 10 and a fragmentarily-illustrated adjoining panel filled the height of a space and a portion of the length thereof. The space is bounded top and bottom by walls 12 and may be formed between the ceiling and floor of a room or between the top and bottom frame member of an opening through which a controlled amount of light is to pass. The space will be sidewardly bounded by suitable frames or walls not shown. Two or more light-control panels of the invention can be fitted into a large space or opening in side-by-side or super-imposed relation or both. It should be clear however that each light-control panel can be of a size to fill a space or opening or can be merely a free-standing panel or a load-bearing wall or panel or a portion thereof.

The light-control panel 10 comprises a grid 15 of crossing walls of substantial depth forming a pattern of relatively deep light passages 16. The invention will be exemplified as employing walls crossing at a right angle and forming passages that are substantially square in the plane of the panel but it should be understood that walls intersecting at other angles can be employed and that passages of other cross-sectional shape can be utilized so long as the passages are arranged side by side in rows respectively having pivot axes traversing the passages of the corresponding row. A typical pivot axis is suggested at AA of FIG. 4. As a matter of convenience, the walls of the grid will be designated as longitudinal walls 17 having wall segments 18 bounding the sides of the passages 16 and as transvers walls 19 having wall segments 20 bounding the passages at their tops and bottoms.

FIGS. 1-5 show a checkerboard pattern of substantially cubical light passages 16 formed by a grid which can be molded of plastic material, reinforced if desired by glass fibers. On one face of the grid 15 alternate passages of each row, considered either vertically or horizontally, are individually closed at their front or top ends by lighttransmitting walls 22. On the other face of the grid 15 the intervening passages of such rows are individually closed at their rear or bottom ends by light-transmitting walls 23. The walls 22 and 23 are molded integrally with the wall segments 18 and 20 bounding the respective light passages 16 and can likewise be reinforced by glass fibers if desired. My copending applications Serial No. 799,895, filed March 17, 1959, entitled Hollow Plastic Structure and Method and Serial No. 238,189, filed November 16, 1962, entitled Plastic Structural Member and Method of Making Same disclose methods of making a structure of the type thus far described. In such a structure the successive wall segments 18 of each longitudinal wall 17 are substantially aligned so that resulting wall 17 is continuous from top to bottom of the grid 15. In similar manner the successive wall segments 20 are substantially aligned to form transverse wall 19 which is continuous from side to side of the grid 15.

The entire structure thus far described can be molded from any transparent (light-transmitting) plastic. Resins of the polyester, epoxy, silicone, phenolic, etc. type are preferred and may be internally reinforced in some or all portions of the grid by glass fibers if maximum strength is desired. However in accordance with the present invention a molded structure of this invention type can be made from other transparent plastic materials or of ceramic or other light-transmitting substances, particularly as concerns the walls 22 and 23. The degree of transparency of the wall segments 18 and 20 is not critical but it is the preferred .practice to make them of the same material as the walls 22 and 23 for ease of manufacture.

Front and rear light-transmitting face members 24 and 25 may be respectively adhered to the broad faces of the front and rear light-transmitting walls 22 and 23 as disclosed in my applications supra. The resulting panel has a distinct checkerboard appearance when viewed from either face, resulting primarily from a difference in transparency or texture as between those light passages 16 closed exclusively by the face member on the viewed side and those closed both by such face member and the light-transmitting walls 22 or 23 on such side.

In accordance with the present invention the opposed wall segments of the passages 16 of each row, considered vertically or horizontally, are apertured before the face members 24 or 25 are applied. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 the longitudinal wall segments 18 are drilled or otherwise apertured to form pivot openings (FIG. 4) aligned along a pivot axis AA of each transverse row of passages 16. A shaft 32 extends through the aligned pivot openings of each such row and traverses all of those passages 16 thereof which are to serve a light-control function. Within each such passage the shaft provides a shutter-support portion in the zone between the apertured wall segments 18 that bound it. As illustrated, shutters 34 are mounted on the shaft 32 in similar orientation in each of such passages 16 with each shutter extending along and suitably attached to a corresponding shutter-support portion of the shaft. The shutters are adapted to move from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of the grid 15 (FIG. 2, full lines) to a closed position more nearly parallel to such plane (FIG. 2,, dotted lines). In the preferred practice the shutters when in closed position lie parallel to the plane of the grid 15 and substantially fill the corresponding passages 16 to block light transmission substantially completely. The shutters 34 may be made of any suitable plastic, metal or other material and are usually completely opaque, although not necessarily so depending upon the degree to which the light in the passages 16 is to be blocked when the shutters are in closed position.

FIGS. 2-5 illustrate each pivot axis A--A as passing centrally through the passages of the corresponding row with each shutter 34 providing a central zone which is attached to the corresponding shutter-mounting portion of the shaft 32. A simple way of attaching each shutter is to form or deform it with a pair of V-shaped offsets 36 in such central zone with an intervening offset 37 in the opposite direction to receive a shaft that is of square cross-section. With this arrangement the shaft is inserted through successive shutters as it is inserted progressively through the passages 16 of the corresponding row, the shutters being held in position on the shaft by friction. Other ways of attaching the shutters can be employed if desired but use. of a square shaft, journalled in central pivot openings 30, has been found to be simple and entirely satisfactory.

It is to be noted that the shutter 34 of FIG. 6 is substantially square but not exactly so due to the slight slope of the opposed wall segments 18 required if the grid 15 is molded. These wall segments usually deviate from a plane perpendicular to the face members 24, 25 by an angle of about 1-5", typically about 2 /2 as a result of the draft on the die projections needed to pull the molded grid therefrom. For most complete light blockage the sides of each shutter may be slightly V-shape as shown, deviating from a straight line by such angle. The outermost edges of the shutter may be straight and will lie close to the top and bottom boundaries of the corresponding passage 16 when the shutter is in closed position (FIG. 2, dotted lines) and close to the fore and aft boundaries of the passage when the shutter is in open position (FIGS. 2 and 4).

A control zone 40 is provided at one side of the panel 10. As shown, the control zone 40 is formed between extensions or end portions 42 and 43 of the face members 24 and 25 respectively. It is preferably traversed by wall segments 44 (FIG. 5) which may be extensions of the transverse walls 19 in alignment with the wall segments 20 of the latter. A similar end zone 46 (FIGS. 1 and 4) may be formed on the opposite side of the grid 15 and similar end zones 47 and 48 (FIG. 1) may be formed at the top and bottom of the grid. A frame 50, made of metal or other material, may surround the grid and close the zones 40, 46, 47 and 48, the frame having flanges 51 and 52 which lie in contact with or which are adhered to the faces of the end portions 42 and 43 of the face members 24 and 25. If each of the zones 40, 46, 47 and 48 are of a width, measured in the plane of the grid 15, substantially equal to one-half the width of each passage 16 or slightly less, adjacent light-control panels 10 will present a uniform pattern with the flanges of adjacent frames appearing to bridge the width of a covered row of passages and with the end passages of the adjacent panels 10 spaced as if a covered row of passages intervened.

Means is provided in the control zone 40 for simultaneously turning the shafts 32 extending thereinto, this turning being preferably through corresponding angles. Such means is shown as including a control member 54 vertically traversing all of the horizontal rows of passages 16 of the grid 15 and slidably journalled in apertures 55 formed by saw cuts or molded grooves extending sidewardly into each of the wall segments 44, see FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. An actuating member 56 extends through a vertically elongated aperture 57 of the end portion 43 and the flange 51 and has its base portion 58 suitably attached to the control member 54. The control member can thus be moved up and down by finger actuation of the member 56 through a locus of motion determined by the height of the aperture 57.

Any suitable means can be. employed for operatively connecting the control member 54 to the shafts 32. As shown, each shaft has a bent end that is loosely slidable in a small sleeve 60 which in turn is pivotally connected to the control member, as by a pin 62 extending from the sleeve into a slightly larger opening 64 of the control member. The sleeves are thus translated up and down with the control member but change their angular orientation as determined by the changing angles of the bent ends of the shafts 32 along which they freely slide. In the embodiment shown all of the shafts 32 will thus turn through corresponding angles upon vertical movement of the actuating member 56 and the shutters 34- in all of the passages will correspondingly move toward open or closed position.

To seal hermetically the end passages from the zone 40 a small rubber or plastic sealing member 66 of ring shape may be pressed on each shaft to a position to engage the wall segment 18 of such end passage in sealing relationship, such sealing member being positioned within the control zone 40 as shown. Similarly a rubber or plastic sealing member 68 of cap form may be pressed on each shaft within the end zone 46 to engage the endmost wall segment 18 in sealing relation. Preferably, however, the cap-form sealing member 68 is adhered to the endmost wall segment 18, as suggested in FIG. 4, so that the end of the shaft turns therein. The interiors of all of the passages 16 are thus sealed against entry of dust, moisture or other fluids even though the more central passages of a row are connected to adjoining passages of the row by minute spaces within the pivot openings 30 around the shaft 32.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate an alternative light-control panel 80 and some of the elements of which it is formed. Here the upright or longitudinal walls of the grid are formed by strips 82 of any suitable material. Pivot openings 84 are punched, drilled or molded therein at the proper positions. Notches 86 are cut or molded from the rear edge of the strip 82 and extend to the center thereof. Similarly, the horizontal or transverse walls of the grid are formed by similar strips 88 with notches 90 extending to the center thereof. The strips 82 and 88 can be assembled in known eg -crate fashion to form the grid shown in FIG. 9 having substantially cubical light passages 92 therethrough bounded by wall segments of the walls or strips 82 and 88. Face members 93 and 94, made of light-transmitting material, may be adhered to the grid to close the ends of the passages 92. Shafts 95 may be journalled in the pivot openings 84 as before and may carry square shutters 96 in some or all of the light passages 92. The means for operatively connecting and moving the shafts 95 may be as previously described and may be located in a control zone, not shown, disposed at one side of the panel. Adjacent the opposite side of the panel the free ends of the shafts extend into an end zone 97 and may be covered by capshaped sealing members 98 which, as before, may he slipped onto the ends of the shafts or may be adhered to the endmost wall segment.

It should be clear that the light passages of the grids of the invention need not be of a depth to permit the shutters to swing through a full 90 angle as shown and that the shutters need not be of a height substantially equal to the height of the corresponding passage nor of a width equal substantially to the width thereof. Such alternatives are useful even though they will not vary the transmitted light to the same degree as in the embodiments illustrated. It should be clear likewise that the invention is not limited to a checkerboard pattern of substantially square passages because passages of other shape in the plane of the grid can be used with shutters of similar or dissimilar shape turning therein. Additionally, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to a positioning of the shafts centrally of the passages of an aligned series. Each shaft can be offset from such a central position and may be employed with shutters that are symmetric or asymmetric with relation to the shaft. Finally it should be clear that the invention is not limited to an arrangement in which movable shutters are positioned in all of the passages. Very interesting patterns can be obtained by disposing the shutters only in selected passages so that the visual pattern of the panel is changed as between shutter-open and shutterclosed positions.

Various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments of the invention specifically exemplified herein and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A light-control panel including in combination:

a grid made of crossing walls forming a pattern of trans-grid light passages aligned in side-by-side relation in parallel rows, the passages of each row being separated by single wall segments of said crossing walls, all of such passage-separating wall segments of each of a number of said rows having pivot openings therethrough aligned with each other;

a corresponding number of long shafts respectively extending through and journalled in said pivot openings that are aligned with each other, each shaft traversing the light passages of the corresponding row and providing within each traversed light passage a shutter-support portion in the zone between those wall segments that bound such light passage and provide the pivot openings for such shaft;

shutters on each shaft in selected light passages traversed by such shaft, each shutter having a mounting portion extending along and attached to a cone sponding shutter-support portion of said shaft in the corresponding light passage, said shutter being of a dimension transverse to said shaft so as to block substantially all light from passing through its respective light passage; and

means for turning said shafts to change the position of the shutters in their respective light passages.

2. A light-control panel including in combination:

a planar grid of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces thereof having a pattern of trans-grid light passages transverse to the plane of the grid arranged side by said in rows extending in crossing directions, there being a series of rows extending in each of said directions, the light passages of rows of one series of rows that extend in one of said directions being separated from adjoining light passages in the same row by wall segments, the wall segments of at least some of the rows of said one series having pivot openings therethrough aligned with each other in the direction of the corresponding row and parallel to the plane of said grid;

a plurality of long shafts respectively extending through and turning freely in the aligned openings of such rows, each such shaft being unitary throughout its length and of a length to extend unitarily through a plurality of the pivot openings of the wall segments of the corresponding row of said one series;

a plurality of shutters attached to each shaft disposed respectively in light passages of the corresponding row and movable with the corresponding shaft from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel to said plane, each shuttered light passage containing a single shutter, each shutter being of a length and width, measured respectively parallel and transverse to its shaft, to block substantially all light through its light passage when in said closed position, the depth of said grid being sufficient to contain each shutter in its light passage when in said open position; and

means for turning said shafts to move said shutters between said open and closed positions.

3. A light-control panel as defined in claim 2 in which the width of each shutter, measured transversely of its shaft, is only slightly less than the height of its corresponding light passage, each shutter in its closed position being substantially parallel to the plane of said grid, each shutter being of a peripheral shape corresponding substantially to the cross-sectional shape of its light passage to block passage of light therethrough substantially completely when in said closed position substantially parallel to the plane of said grid.

4. A light-control panel as defined in claim 2 in which each pivot opening is substantially at the center of its wall segment, each shaft providing in each shuttered light passage a shutter-support portion in the zone between those wall segments that bound such light passage and provide the pivot openings for the shaft extending therethrough, each shutter having a central zone adjacent to and traversed by the corresponding shutter-support portion of the corresponding shaft, and means in said central zone connecting the shutter-support portion of such shaft to the central zone of a corresponding shutter.

5. A light-control panel as defined in claim 2 including walls defining a control zone on one side of said grid, said shafts being formed of bendable material and having ends extending into said control zone, the end of each shaft in said control zone being bent to form an operating arm in said control zone, said arms being a part of said means for turning said shafts.

6. A light-control panel as defined in claim 5 in which said means for turning said shafts includes a movable control member in said control zone, means for operatively connecting said control member to each of said operating arms, and means attached to said control mem- 7 her operative from a position exterior of said control zone for moving said control member to turn said shafts simultaneously.

7. A light-control panel as defined in claim 2 including walls defining a control zone on one side of said grid and walls defining an end zone on the opposite side of said grid, each shaft having opposed ends extending respectively into said zones, and two sealing members respectively surrounding the opposed ends of each shaft at their junctions with the wall segments of the sidemost rows of passages immediately adjacent said zones sealing said zones from the passages of said sidemost rows, all remaining wall segments traversed by each shaft being free of sealing members, the pivot openings of said remaining wall segments being slightly larger than such shaft to form minute spaces within such pivot openings around such shaft interconnecting adjoining light passages.

8. A light-control panel including in combination:

two light-transmitting face members with a planar grid sandwiched therebetween, said grid being made up of thin long walls comprising a plurality of spaced horizontal walls extending between opposed horizontally spaced sides of said grid and a plurality of spaced vertical walls extending between opposed vertically spaced sides of said grid, said walls forming a pattern of trans-grid light passages arranged in horizontal and vertical rows, each light passage in at least some of said horizontal rows being bounded by opposed vertical wall segments of said vertical walls having pivot openings therethrough disposed in the same position in each such wall segment, there being a single wall segment separating each pair of adjoining light passages in the corresponding horizontal row, the pivot openings in each such horizontal row forming a series with the pivot openings of each series aligned horizontally with each other in a direction parallel to the plane of said grid:

a single long shaft in each series of pivot openings and extending through the light passages of the corresponding horizontal row, each shaft having shutters respectively in at least some of the light passages of such corresponding row, each shutter being of a width measured transverse to its shaft that is less than the distance between said face members and only slightly less than the vertical distance between said horizontal walls, each shutter being of a length parallel to its shaft only slightly less than the distance between the opposed vertical wall segments bounding its corresponding light passages; and

means operatively connected to said shafts for simultaneously turning the shafts through corresponding angles.

9. A light-control panel as defined in claim 8 in which the total number of shutters corresponds to the total number of said light passages With one shutter in each light passage, each shutter being planar, all of the shutters on each shaft extending therefrom in the same direction to dispose the shutters of each shaft in a single plane, each shutter being movable from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position substantially parallel to the plane of said grid.

10. A light-control panel including in combination:

a grid of thin wall segments of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces of said grid forming a pattern of light passages arranged in several rows, each light passage of a row being bounded by opposed wall segments having aligned pivot openings therein;

a shaft journalled in said aligned pivot openings of the opposed wall segments of at least some of said rows and extending through all of the light passages of the corresponding row;

shutters attached to each shaft in at least some of the light passages of the corresponding row, said shutters turning in the corresponding light passages upon turning of the corresponding shaft;

two light-transmitting face members respectively adhered to said opposed faces of said grid extending transversely across all of said light passages thereof, the wall segments of said grid being of sufiicient depth to dispose said face members beyond said shutters when in open position;

light-transmitting walls individually closing some of said light passages on at least one end thereof, said light-transmitting walls being parallel to and adhered to at least one of said face members; and

means for simultaneously turning said shafts.

11. A light-control panel as defined in claim 10 in which alternate light passages in each row are individually closed at one end by one of said light-transmitting walls parallel to an adhered to one of said face members, each of the intervening light passages of such row being individually closed at the opposite end by another of said light-transmitting walls parallel to and adhered to the other of said face members, the light-transmitting walls and the face member on one face of said grid acting additively to decrease the light transmitted through the passages closed by such walls and such face members as compared with light passages closed exclusively by said face member on said one face of said grid.

12. A light-control panel including in combination:

a grid of thin wall segments of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces of said grid forming a pattern of light passages arranged in several rows, each light passage of a row being bounded by opposed wall segments having aligned pivot openings therein;

a shaft journalled in said aligned pivot openings of the opposed Wall segments of at least some of said rows and extending through all of the light passages of the corresponding rows;

shutters attached to each shaft in at least some of the light passages of the corresponding row, said shutters turning in the corresponding light passages upon turning of the corresponding shafts, each shutter being of a width measured transverse to its shaft that is less than the distance between said front and rear faces of said grid;

walls defining a control zone on one side of said grid, said shafts having ends extending into said control zone, said grid having apertured wall segments extending into said control zone transversely thereof with the apertures thereof aligned in a direction generally parallel to the plane of said grid; and

means for simultaneously turning said shafts comprising a movable control member extending through the apertures of said apertured wall segments and means for operatively connecting said control member to all of said shafts.

13. A light-control panel including in combination:

a grid of thin wall segments forming a pattern of light passages substantially square in cross-section arranged in several rows, each light passage of a row being bounded by opposed wall segments having aligned pivot openings therein, said grid having opposed front and rear faces;

a shaft extending through and journalled in said aligned pivot openings of the opposed wall segments of at least some of said rows, each shaft extending through all of the light passages of a corresponding row;

substantially square shutters attached to each shaft in at least some of the light passages of the corresponding row, said shutters turning in the corresponding light passages upon turning of the corresponding shaft;

two light-transmitting face members respectively on said front and rear faces of said grid extending transversely across all of said light passages thereof, each shutter being movable from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel to such plane to vary the light transmitted through the corresponding light passage and the face members traversing same, there being a control zone on one side of said grid and an end zone on the opposite side of said grid from said control zone, said shafts having opposed ends extending into said control zone and said end zone; and

means in said control zone operatively connected to the ends of said shafts to turn same through corresponding angles, the width of said control zone and said end zone measured in the plane of said grid being in the neighborhood of one-half the width of each light passage measured in such plane.

14. A light-control panel is defined in claim 13 including a frame surrounding said grid, said frame having portions closing said control zone and said end zone, said frame having flanges of a width substantially equal to the width of said zones.

15. A light-control panel as defined in claim 14 in which one of said flanges provides an aperture, and in which said means for turning said shafts through corresponding angles includes an actuating means extending through such aperture.

16. A light-control panel including in combination:

a grid of thin wall segments forming a pattern of light passages substantially square in cross-section arranged in several rows, each light passage of a row being bounded by opposed wall segments having aligned pivot openings therein, said grid having opposed front and rear faces;

a shaft extending through and journalled in said aligned pivot openings of the opposed wall segments of at least some of said rows, each shaft extending through all of the light passages of a corresponding row;

substantially square shutters attached to each shaft in at least some of the light passages of the corresponding row, said shutters turning in the corresponding light passages upon turning of the corresponding shaft, each shutter providing opposed V-shaped offsets receiving said shaft, said shaft being of a crosssection having projections extending into said offsets to fix the angular relation between the shutter and the shaft;

two light-transmitting face members respectively on said front and rear faces of said grid extending transversely across all of said light passages thereof, each shutter being movable from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel to such plane to vary the light transmitted through the corresponding light passage and the face members traversing same, there being a control zone on one side of said grid, said shafts having ends extending into said control zone; and

means in said control zone operatively connected to the ends of said shafts to turn same through corresponding angles.

17. A light-control panel including in combination:

a planar grid of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces thereof having a pattern of trans-grid light passages transverse to the plane of the grid arranged side by side in rows extending in crossing directions, there being a series of rows extending in each of said directions, the light passages of rows of one series of rows that extend in one of said directions being separated from adjoining light passages in the same row by wall segments, the wall segments of at least some of the rows of said one series having pivot openings therethrough aligned with each other in the direction of the corresponding row and parallel to the plane of said grid;

a plurality of long shafts respectively extending through and turning freely in the aligned openings of such rows;

a plurality of shutters attached to each shaft disposed respectively in light passages of the corresponding row and movable with the corresponding shaft from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel to said plane, each shuttered light passage containing a single shutter and being of a height substantially equal to its depth, each shutter being of a width, measured transversely of its shaft, slightly less than the depth of its corresponding light passage; and

means for turning said shafts to move said shutters between said open and closed positions.

18. A light-control panel including in combination:

a planar grid of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces thereof having a pattern of transgrid light passages transverse to the plane of the grid arranged side by side in rows extending in crossing directions, there being a series of rows extending in each of said directions, the light passages of rows of one series of rows that extend in one of said directions being separated from adjoining light passages in the same row by wall segments, the wall segments of at least some of the rows of said one series having pivot openings therethrough aligned with each other in the direction of the corresponding row and parallel to the plane of said grid;

two light-transmitting face members each of a size and shape to cover said grid adhered respectively to said front and rear faces of said grid;

a plurality of long shafts respectively extending through and turning freely in the aligned openings of such rows;

a plurality of shutters attached to each shaft disposed respectively in light passages of the corresponding row and movable with the corresponding shaft from an open position substantially transverse to the plane of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel to said plane, each shuttered light passage containing a single shutter; and

means for turning said shafts to move said shutters between said open and closed positions.

19. A light-control panel including in combination:

a planar grid of substantial depth between opposed front and rear faces thereof made up of long walls crossing each other at right angles, said walls having front edges lying in a plane at the front of said grid forming said front face thereof, said walls having rear edges lying in a plane at the rear of said grid forming said rear face thereof, said walls, forming a pattern of trans-grid light passages transverse to the plane of said grid arranged side by side in rows extending in crossing directions, there being a series of rows extending in each of said directions, the light passages of rows of one series of rows that extend in one of said directions being separated from adjoining light passages in the same row by wall segments, the wall segments of at least some of the rows of said one series having pivot openings therethrough aligned with each other in the direction of the corresponding row and parallel to the plane of said grid;

a plurality of long shafts respectively extending through and turning freely in the aligned openings of such rows;

a plurality of shutters attached to each shaft disposed respectively in light passages of the corresponding row and movable with the corresponding shaft from 1 1 1 2 an open position substantially transverse to the plane References Cited by the Examiner of said grid to a closed position more nearly parallel UNITED STATES PATENTS to said plane, each shuttered light passage containg a Single Shutter. 345,691 7/1886 Hayes 18962 r 734,607 7/1903 Plucker 189-62 means for turning said shafts to move said shutters bea 1 830 487 11/1931 Sambero 2O 62 tween said and Closed Posimms; 2 288 521 6/1942 Gregor; fjff fsd-zes X a front light-transmitting face member adhered to said 2464954 3/1949 Warm front edges and extending across said light passages; 2:490:295 12/1949 Fisher and 2,607,452 8/1952 Hall 189--62 a rear light-transmitting face member adhered to said 10 rear edges and extending across said light passages. HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LIGHT-CONTROL PANEL INCLUDING IN COMBINTION: A GRID MADE OF CROSSING WALLS FORMING A PATTERN OF TRANS-GRID LIGHT PASSAGES ALIGNED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION IN PARALLEL ROWS, THE PASSAGES OF EACH ROW BEING SEPARATED BY SINGLE WALL SEGMENTS OF SAID CROSSING WALLS, ALL OF SUCH PASSAGE-SEPARATING WALL SEGMENTS OF EACH OF A NUMBER OF SAID ROWS HAVING PIVOT OPENINGS THERETHROUGH ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER; A CORRESPONDING NUMBER OF LONG SHAFTS RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING THROUGH AND JOURNALLED IN SAID PIVOT OPENINGS THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER, EACH SHAFT TRAVERSING THE LIGHT PASSAGES OF THE CORRESPONDING ROW AND PROVIDING WITHIN EACH TRAVERSED LIGHT PASSAGE A SHUTTER-SUPPORT PORTION IN THE ZONE BETWEEN THOSE WALL SEGMENTS THAT BOUND SUCH LIGHT PASSAGE AND PROVIDE THE PIVOT OPENINGS FOR SUCH SHAFT; SHUTTERS ON EACH SHAFT IN SELECTED LIGHT PASSAGES TRAVERSED BY SUCH SHAFT, EACH SHUTTER HAVING A MOUNTING PORTION EXTENDING ALONG AND ATTACHED TO A CORRESPONDING SHUTTER-SUPPORT PORTION OF SAID SHAFT IN THE CORRESPONDING LIGHT PASSAGE, SAID SHUTTER BEING OF A DIMENSION TRANSVERSE TO SAID SHAFT SO AS TO BLOCK SUBSTANTIALLY ALL LIGHT FROM PASSING THROUGH ITS RESPECTIVE LIGHT PASSAGE; AND MEANS FOR TURNING SAID SHAFT TO CHANGE THE POSITION OF THE SHUTTERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE LIGHT PASSAGES. 